Racism in the CZ

One night while staying up and watching television (for language practice, geez!), I came across a program entitled, Mate Slovo? In English, this is directly translated as, 'Do you have words?', but more for our purposes, the REAL emotional/grammatical translation would be something like this, 'Do you have an opinion?'. The show is probably on late, because no one from the 'average viewing audience' would have any interest in the topics and themes that are brought up, as many of them are political in nature and I'm sure that bickering and frustration follows suit in about 80-90 percent of the episodes (think of Bill O'Reilly). But for me, the night I tuned in, the topic was really provocative.

The format of the show runs like a panel discussion, where you have one host (usually a nubile women in her early 20's that seems out of place asking questions about economic policy and liquidity--but, hey, you gotta get the 'viewers' some how!?) proposing a question and then hearing the answers from about 5 or 6 'experts.' Normally, the question or issue is posed as one that could be 'answerable', when in fact it isn't, because the inherent dichomoty of having seperated 'experts' each giving one-sided opinions to a question/issue that requires a holisitc answer is quite fruitless; but, I was sure it would make for some explosive-television entertainment. The theme that was to be discussed was, "Racism in the Czech Republic. Why is it so powerful here?" If any of you know me, then you know I HAD to watch.

The resident panel for that night was made up of the Minister of the Intrastate Safety Board of the Czech Republic; the Mayor of the Jewish community in Prague; the Mayor from a medium-sized, Czech city with Roma 'issues'; two Roma rights activists and one newspaper journalist, who has written extensivly about the issue. To get the conversation started, the minsiter from the Czech Government, claimed that he understood the worries of the Roma population within the Czech Republic (remember that due to the fact that the CZ is very homogeneous in population, the race quetsion is normally relegated to the Roma and a few asian, immigrant groups), but felt that sometimes the claims of violence are a little bit too extreme: he felt that they were effectively yelling "fire in a theatre" to get the attention of world at large. And, really, from that statement, the panel discussion went down hill. Throughout the 30 minutes that followed, I was appalled and shocked to hear, coming from the lips of politicians, the most down-right, unthinking, typically, insulting answers as to why Roma are discriminated against, and how they effectively, "have it coming" (they are lazy, no Roma want to work, they rob houses, they have violent gangs, they don't speak Czech well, they are dirty, etc...). The moderator did an admirable job of keeping all the opinionated 'bulls' (I'll call them that because they were all men with head-strong arguments) in line and on topic, but it just didn't seem to work so well. I'm sure that some of the politicans were trying to make populist points in their statements, and I'm also pretty sure that the Roma activists were not doing the best job of taking some of the responsibilities for their communties lack of educational and parental support. But for the most part, I felt that all of the 'experts' weren't taking the issue seriously enough to admit that it is a little bit more complicated than the fact that the Roma have dirty houses and that they are lazy.

Czech people have a lot of pride in their nation, which is one reason as to why they probably don't want to engae the issue on a deeper level than making blanket statements that push the blame onto the 'other' almost entirely. This is not just relegated to the Czechs, we Americans have a had this problem in the past and today, but I do think that at this time, in the Czech Republic, their civic nation is just starting to deal with some problems of immigration and 'national identity', so some of their political and social responses, to me, seem a bit immature. I don't want to make this issues of race in the Czech Republic seem very easy, because it really is not; however, in some instances, I wish Czechs could look at some of their traditional tendencies (mainly in regards to thinking/history) and see that there are some roots and seeds within their own cultural paradigm that make a racist worldview more conducive for growth and fruition.

To make this a little bit more understandable, I will use a specific topic that was proposed during one of the segments of the show: why is Nazism such a strong ideology in the minds of Czechs? In answering this quetsion, we have to remember the roots of Nazism and the cultural landscape that led to its rise. Again, not trying to make it too simple, but at the same time trying to think this out on a tangible level, I honestly believe that one of the strongest foundational underpinnings for Nazisim was the humiliation and broken pride of the German 'nation' after WWII (I have quoted 'nation', because for Europeans the word 'nation' has a more nuanced definition than the one we use in America. This has roots in both of our respective histories, but just for your knowledge, 'nation' in Europe does NOT signify the Civic State, but the ethnicity, the culture, the language, and even the color of a people; in Czech, this word is 'Narodnost'). In a not-so-small way, the Nazi movement is a vainglorious way of looking at one's standing in the world (which might work, until you have people like Jesse Ownens come and 'inconveinetly' call it out for what it is...). But, what does this have to do with Czechs?

Well, since were talking about Nazism, we have to remember that it is an ideology. From living in the Czech Republic for a year, I have grown to see that Czechs are very terrified of the idea/word ideology. I would say that many of them, who think like this, relegate the concept to just politicl worldviews and religion: both in a more negative sense than a positive; therefore, Czechs are afraid of being 'brainwashed' ( a word sometimes used to describe the workings of the Christian Church within this country) into being forced into any kind of ideological living that 'imposes' upon them certain rules (can you see how 40 years of repressive Communism might have made them 'gun shy' for any more ideology?). But we humans, whether we like to admit it or not, will never be able to get away from living a life that in some way or form is shaped by a paradigm, a praxis, or...an ideology. Sometimes we may choose to align ourselves with more 'free-spirited' or 'open-minded' worldviews that seem 'safer' on the outside than the liturgical life of a Catholic, or the 'dehumanizing' life of an Islamic woman. But in the end, it is still the same, whether that life is packaged as 'rationalism', 'marxism', 'materialism', or, and the one that is most relevant in this conversation about the Czechs, 'atheism.'

I guess what I am trying to say, is that the question of race, within in the Czech Republic, is also one of religion/theology (whichever one works better for you). Of course the public discourse on the matter of racism and its problematic manifestations within society should encompass economic, political, social and educational reasons, but if the Czech society at large continues to ignore the theological/philosophical/relgious aspect, well then, in my opinion, they can never begin to think creatively enough to engage in meaningful, reconciliatory conversation.

Most Czechs say that they are atheist. As an atheist, they too are still making a claim of 'allegience' to something, or sometimes, to someone. In parallel fasion, my Christian self makes an allegiance to God and to all the beauty that IS creation (art, music, humanity, nature, animals, etc). Therefore, it would have to be that my highest allegiance will always be above ANYTHING that has been created by the hands of man, including, the 'nation', the 'narodnost' and the civic state. However, for an atheist, each one can be a little different: Jim might find that 'peace and love' are his foundations on this earth; Susy might find think that 'being a good person and living a healthy life' are most important; and Bill, he might find his deepest root in his flag, in the stories of his 'nation' and in the language of his literature, songs and poetry. It is this last one that, I feel, holds powerful sway in the CZ.

I would have to give you about another two paragraphs as to why Czechs are so proud of their nation, because in many instances, they do have a lot to take pride in, but I'm not going to do that. However, I will say that sometimes Czech nationalism arises from a feeling of inferioirty or 'smallness.' It does have to do with their history: the fact that they have not been able to be a free, independent state for most of their existence and that they really are small in comparsion to their neighbors, has bred within in them a first reaction of defensiveness, where they have to proclaim their right as a people and as a culture to exist. Therefore, when their 'narodnost' perceives threats from the 'outside', maybe by way of immigrants or the Romas themselves, they have to fight it 'tooth and nail.' This problem is only exacerbated by the fact that many Czechs, who refuse to claim a 'religious' ideology, define their deepest existance not in creation, but in the Czech nation itself. Through this, there is no room for 'true' reconciliation, because people who come from a different 'narodnost', will really never be a 'part' of the nation, of the family, or of the country. Instead, they will be percieved as a threat when their numbers are too large for comfort.


I don't want to make this issue seem really simple, because it isn't at all. There is so much that I don't know about this culture and about their history with the Roma that I feel really unqualified to even talk about it. But, I just wanted to get some of my thoughts down....

Also, I don't want it to seem that ALL Czechs are like this. Just like in our country, there are a few radicals; the vast majority of people do not fit into this critique.


Sorry if this was too long, too poorly written, or just confusing...